Switching device



c. L. LILLEBERG SWITCHING DEVICE Filed April 23, 1919 flaw: fwalli/fe y Patented Nov. 6,1923.

UNITEDISTATES wa e;

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. LI LEBERG, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

Application filed A rn 23, 1919'. semi No. 292,112.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. LILLEBERG, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switching Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to switching devices and is of particular service where employed in the construction of timers forcontrolling the occurrence of the ignition sparks that tacting members extending toward each other. One of these contacting members is preferably inthe form of a bifurcated spring arm whose base portion is transverse to the axis of rotation of the rotatable contacting member and having two contact parts angular to said base portion and lo cated nearer said axis of rotation than said base portion. The other contacting'member is preferably in the form of a rigid arm having abase portion transverse to said axis of rotation and extending from such axis toward the other contacting member, this rigid arm including a contact portion angular to its base portion and receivable between the contacting parts upon the two part contacting member, the contacting portions upon the two contacting members extending toward each other.

I will explain my invention more'fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the rigid contact arm structure; Fig. t is a View; of a sheet metal'blank from which the structure of Fig. 3.may be formed; Fig. '5 is a perspective view of the spring contact arm structure and the mounting therefor; and

Fig. 6 is a view of a blank out of which the spring arm of Fig. 5 may be formed.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the rigid contacting member is the rotatable I member, being mounted upon an engine driven shaft 1 when the structure is employed as a timing switch. This rigid contacting member may include a sleeve 2 which is rigidly secured to the engine driven shaft 1, there being a key slot 3 in the sleeve for receiving a key 1 upon the shaft. An arm is rigidly connected withthe sleeve 2,

c the base portion 5 of this arm branching from one end of the sleeve to be transverse to the axis of rotation of the shaft 1 and the contacting arm carried thereby. The contacting arm also includes a contacting portion 6 which is angular to its base portion and is desirably of the form illustrated clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The rigid con tact arm structure may be formed out of a sheet of metal having the contour illustrated in Fig. 4. The sheet of metal is provided with a mortise formation 7 at one end and a tenon formation 8 at an opposite end and a branch 9 extends from a side ofthe sheet. The blank may be curled into a cylindrical I shell, the tenon 8 meshing with themortise tacting portion 6 gradually toenter into engagementwith and become separated from the complemental contact portion.

I There are a number of complemental contacting members, one for each spark plug in the engine, although I do not limit my self to the number of such complemental contacting members, particularly where the switching device is useful for other purposes. These complemental contacting members are desirably each in the form of a two part spring arm formed from the single blank illustrated in Fig. (3

upon the outer einl oicach. screw 11 and serves to assemble the spring contact arms and shell. lflach screw ll. also carries an other nut 15 whch serves to clamp a con din-ting wire 16 against the nut 14, the nut hithus also serving as a locking nut. For

.case of assei'nbly the interior oi the housing 10 is provided with a iocket J? for each insulating block 12. Opposite walls of these pocketsslope toward each other, the block having corresponding sloping s'des whereby the block maybe quickly positioned within the housing, each screw 11 and the inner neck portion of the washer 13 also serving quickly to detine the location of each block with respect to said housing.

The extreme outer end of each spring con- ;tacting member is in the torm ot a tail l8 receivable in a notch 19 in the corresponding mounting bloclc12. By this constrmition the position ot the spring coi'itacting arm with respect to its mounting block .1 is fixedly defined and as the position of said mounting block with respect to the housing 10 is fixedly defined the transrer position of the spring contacting arm with respect to the axis oat. rotation of the rotatable contacting member assured. The inner ends i the two parts of each spring contacting member carry two contacting parts 20 and 21 which are angular to the base portion of such spring contacting member. The contactingportion 20, 21 upon each spring contacting arm and the contacting portion 6 upon the rigid contacting arm extend toward each other. The contacting :iort ion 6 is receivable between the contacting parts 20 and 21, in either direction oi rotation of the shatt 1.

The base portion 5 of each spring con tacting member, extending angularly to the axis of rotation of the contacting member 5-6, and being further removed from said axis than are the contacting parts 20, 21, positions these parts at the circle of rotation of the contacting portion 6 the contacting part 21. being upon the outer side of this circle and theretore vengageahle with the outer surface of the contacting portion 6 and the contacting part 20 being upon the inner side oat this circle and therefore engageable with the inner surface of the cont-acting porlion 6. The contacting parts 20 and 21. which are angular to the base. portion 5 ot each spring contacting member. are preferably substantially parallel with the axis ot rotation oi the contacting member 5 6 and the contacting portion 6 is also substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the contacting member 56. A gap is desirably preserved between the contacting parts 20, 21 by a finger 22 upon one of these parts that engages the other part but this finger allows theparts 20 and 21. normally to be close enough together to enable the cont icing portion (5 to spread them apart 2 it passes therethroughlin order to make good. rubbing contact therobetWeen. By this arii'mgei'nent the contacting portion (3 does not ha re undue spreading action upon the contacting parts 20 and 2] but just. enough to maintain the desired degree 01 rubbing contact. By h'rii'iging the contact part 20 and 21 nearer to the axis oil rotation ot' the conlacting member 5-$ than is the base ,por* tion 5 which supports the cont: cting parts 20 and 21, the circle ol" rotation of the contacting member 56 and the circle containinn the contacting parts'2t) and 21, is ma- ;terially reduced in radius-=to-rcduce the rate of travel of the contacting portion :(3 over the contacting parts 20 and 21. thereby reducing the wear upon these coo ieratingswitch parts.

By the construction exhibited the base portion 5 of each spring contacting member is not in the plane of rotation of the contacting portion 6 at the circle of rotation of this contacting portion but all of said parts 6, 20 and 21 are in the same plane whereby the contacting portion 6 passes over the base portion 5 0t eachspring contacting member irrespective ot the direction of rotation of the contacting portion '6. Likewise'the base portion of the contacting member 5-- 6 is outside ot the plane of ncrement ot the contactin eportion 6. The col'itacting parts 20 and extend toward the contacting portion 3 but not far enough to engage the base portion 5 and likewise the contacting portion (3 extends toward :the contacting pa rts 2t) and. 2] but not far enough to engage the base portion :5. Thus while the ,-.ontacting parts (3. 20 and 2t. are in the statue circle neither of these parts can engage the base portion carrying the other.

This arrangement permits the shaft 31 carrying the contact a to shift longitudinally of its axis without interfering with the engagement 0:1 this contact with its complemental contacts 20 and 21. This has been a serious difficulty in the making of timing switches for gas engines where the contacting parts .do not extend angular-1y to the plane of rotation of the rotatable contacting member and are not supported upon base portions which are clear of this plane of rotation at the clrcle ot rotation otthc rotatable contacting member.

loo

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention Ido not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention,

. operating contacts.

An electrical switching device comprising relatively rotatable members one within the other, arms projecting respectively from the interior and exterior of said members with their free ends spaced longitudinally of the members, and a lateral extension on the free end of each arm directed toward the other arm, said extensions forming coopersaid members with their free ends spaced longitudinally of the members, one of said supports comprising contiguous spring arms each having a lateral extension on its free end directed toward the other support and forming separable spring contacts, and a lateral extension on the free end of the other support directed toward the first named support and forming a contact receivable between the first named contacts.

4. An electrical switching device comprising relatively rotatable members one within the other, contact supports projecting respectively from the interior and exterior of said members with their free ends spaced longitudinally of the members, one of said supports comprising contiguous spring arms each having a lateral extension on its free end directed toward the other support and forming separable spring contacts, and a lateral extension on the free end of the other support directed toward the first named support and forming a contact receivable between the first named contacts, the eii'ective engaging surfaces of said contact being disposed entirely between the free ends of said supports.

5. An electrical switching device comprising relatively rotatable members one within the other, contact supports projecting respectively from the interior and exterior of said members with their free ends spaced .longitudinallyofthe members, one of said supports comprising contiguous spring arms each having a lateral extension onits free end directed toward the other support and forming separable spring contacts, means normally holding said arms in predetermined separation at their 'freeends, and a lateral extension on the free end of the other support directed toward the first named support and forming a contact receivable between the first named contacts.

6. An electrical switching device comprising relatively rotatable members one within the other, contact supports projecting respectively from. the interior and exterior of said members with their free ends spaced longitudinally of the members, one of said supports comprising contiguous spring arms each having a lateral extension on its free end directed toward the other support and forming separabl spring. contacts, means carried by one of said arms normally holding the arms in predetermined separation at theirfree ends, and a'. lateral extension on the free end of the other support directed toward the first named support and forming a contact receivable between the first named contacts.

7. An electrical switching device including relatively rotatable contacting members each in the form of an arm having a base portion and a contacting portion angular to the base portion, the contacting portion upon each relatively rotatable contacting member extending toward the base portion of the other relatively rotatable contacting member, the baseportions of said relatively rotatable contacting members'being outside the plane of rotation of the contacting portion of the rotatable contacting member at the circle of rotation of this contacting portion whereby said base portions are not engaged by said contactingportions, the contacting portion of the relatively rotatable contacting members being in the form of a two part spring that receives the corn tacting portion of the rotatable contacting member therebetween, one part of said two part spring carrying a finger which engages the complemental part and normally maintains a gap between said two parts.

8. An electrical switching device including relatively rotatable contacting members each in the form of an arm having a base portion and a contacting portion angular to the base portion, the contacting portion upon each relatively rotatable contacting member extending toward the base portion of the other relatively rotatable contacting member, the base portions of said relatively rotatable contacting members being outside the plane of rotation of the contactin por-' tion of the rotatable contacting mem er at the circle of rotation of this contacting portion whereby said base portions are not engauged by said contacting tpontions, the conitactlng :portmn or! the relatwely rotatable lcontaohng members bemg 1n the form of a uomp'lementzul part and normally maintains ,a ga between Silld two parts, szud other contacting mvmbor bemg substantially ngld 10 two pzu'tspring that receives the contacting tlnroughmlt.

portion of the rotatable contacting member iherebemveen, "one part of sand :two part Izn Witness whereof, 1 hereunto subscribe any numethis 18th day oi Ap1'i1, i.\ D.,=1.919. spring carrying a finger which ongages'the OH ARLES L. LIL'LEBERG. 

